Player Rankings Volume III

Hey Again Guys, and Apologies if I missed your comment earlier. I thought it would automatically forward comments to my email, so I never checked. But, reguardless, your feedback is much appreciated, and much thanks to SoonerAlum for making me aware of the fact that Thunder means Thundering Herd, and could have a buffalo as the mascot. If this is true, I'm all for the nickname, and it probably takes fourth place in my rankings, behind Rough Riders, Marshals, and Bison. Still, that's kind of also ripping off of the Marshall University Thundering Herd.

Reguardless, on to the rankings!

#9. C.J. Miles, 4th Year Shooting Guard

(He got a big check from Utah recently, so I thought it was fitting....)

Best Season: 07-08 with the Jazz, 12 Minutes, 5 Points, 1 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 1 steal, 48% FG%, 39% 3PT%, 79% FT%.

Okay okay, he' not on the roster anymore, but these rankings are old, and I figured you guys would at least like to see where he stood. I like to think of C.J. as all of Adrian Griffins skill with some of Russell Westbrooks potential. I mean, he'll never be an All-Star, but optomistically he could be a solid starter, or a good backup. Still, the issue is moot now, so my analysis is short.

NBA Comparison: Martell Webster

#8. Donyell Marshall, 15th Year Small/Power Forward

(No, that's not Ben Wallace.)

Best Season: 03-04 with the Raptors, 39 Minutes, 16 Points, 11 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 1 Steal, 2 Blocks, 47% FG%, 40% 3PT%, 74% FT%.

By far the oldest grizzled veteran on our team, and my personal favourite player. (He played on my favourite team of all time, the 1998-1999 Golden State Warriors.) He's played on many different teams, with his longest run from 1995-2000 with the Warriors. Some would say he's past his prime, but his game was never all that athletic anyway. He can still hit the 3 and the jumpshot, which is most of what he did back in the day. If you do know him, you probably know him from his days in Cleveland. Most of the time he shot corner 3s, and was an integral part of the NBA Finals team that beat the Pistons in the Conference Finals and lost to the Spurs in the Finals. Otherwise, he started on a bad Toronto team for a couple of years, and did likewise with a bad Bulls team in the mid-00s. In the early 00s he played with Utah, and was called "the future of the team" by Karl Malone. And for most of the 90s he played for a bad Warriors team, and before that he was a rookie on the Timberwolves. And there you go, the saga of Donyell Marshall. Last season he hardly played for the SuperSonics at all, and I don't expect it to improve much this year. In GM Kevin Pritchards eyes, he's a 5 Million Dollar expiring contract, which is valuable as trade bait. But, if he does stay, he'll be a valuable backup, and could help Kevin Durant learn a thing or to about his 3 Point percentage. (Surprising Stat: He had a 92% FreeThrow percentage last year with the SuperSonics.)

NBA Comparison: He's a wierd player....it's hard to find a comparison for a 3 Point Shooting Power Forward....Dirk Nowitski?

#7. Luke Ridnour, 6th Year Point Guard

(He's a NBA basketball player and his wife is taller than him....not just taller, but noticably taller. Creepy. (I have nothing against tall women, just a funny fact.))

(Had to include this pic, too. It shows him in his playing digs!)

Best Season: 05-06 with the SuperSonics, 33 Minutes, 12 Points, 3 Rebounds, 7 Assists, 2 Steals, 42% FG%, 29% 3PT%, 88% FT%.

Luke Ridnour is about as average and Pure of a Point Guard that you'll get. However, on defense, a lot of people accuse him of being a Bruce Bowen. If you're unfamiliar with the NBA, that basically means he's a really dirty, floppish defender, which can't be too good for his pocketbook going into this season. He's the longest consecutively tenured SuperSonic. The stats shown above are about his apex, as he should be fully developed at 27. But last year he lost his job to Earl Watson, who is a better marksman, but slightly worse in defending. Still, the Oklahoma City have a very good situation with their Point Guards, as interchangability and competition is never a bad thing.

NBA Comparison: Jamal Tinsley

#6. Damien Wilkins, 5th Year Small Forward/Shooting Guard

(That's what his hair should look like. No flat top is blasphemy in the Wilkins family!)

Best Season: 06-07 with the SuperSonics (07-08 looked very similar), 25 Minutes, 9 Points, 3 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 1 Steal, 44% FG%, 41% 3PT%, 88% FT%.

Damien Wilkins is NBA Royalty (according to Wikipedia). He is the son of Gerald Wilkins, a long-time NBA starter, and the nephew of Dominique Wilkins, who we all know as the human highlight flim. But, this is no Chris Simms (OU fan plug!). Yet, he's no Peyton Manning, either. Nonetheless, he can certainly hold his own in the NBA, and is a solid Dunker and 3 point shooter. He certainly has a great future with the SuperSonics, and will be a crucial backup to future stars Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, and Russell Westbrook. You know, someone who can bring energy off of the bench and shoot 3s. If you remember Rasual Butler from a couple years back on the Hornets, then there you go.

NBA Comparison: Rasual Butler

#5. Earl Watson, 8th Year Point Guard
Best Season: 07-08 with Seattle, 29 Minutes, 11 Points, 3 Rebounds, 7 Assists, 1 Steal, 45% FG%, 37% 3PT%, 77% FT%.

Earl Watson is kind of a more ideal Luke Ridnour. None of the bad defensive reputation, and a better shooter. Indeed, he did take the starting job from Luke Ridnour last year, and has been highly coveted by other teams (evidenced by frequent trade talks). Earl Watson was drafted by the SuperSonics in 2001, before going to Memphis and Denver and then coming back to Seattle. Thus, he is the oldest SuperSonic, but not longest consecutively tenured. Anyway, the Seattle Point Guard situation is good. Not great, but good. Two unselfish guys who will distribute the ball.

NBA Comparison: A better passing Derek Fisher

Stay tuned for the relatively unsurprising Top 4, and Strategies for P.J. Carlesimo and Sam Presti to consider!